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Just In: Hincapie’s well-lit Edge Bibshort and Jersey

Recently, Hincapie reached out to the Bikerumor crew, excited about their latest and greatest road kit. The company’s Edge Bibshort and matching Jersey are the top of the South Carolina company’s line. Both pieces are intended to be aerodynamic, compressive, comfortable, and–in a nice move–extremely reflective. After the jump: Edge kit photos, sizing tips, and some early impressions…

The Edge kit is available in white/red, blue/black, red/black, and the sulfur/black pictured here. Though the sulfur color can look a bit mustard-y in photos, in person it’s my pick of the bunch and the acid green accents have attracted a number of compliments.

The whole kit seems well made and the jersey’s lightweight TourTek Lite fabric is soft and cool against the skin. The arm and leg cuffs are made of a reflective HyperOptic Elastane, which light up brightly when faced with headlights (or a camera flash). They’re otherwise subtle and don’t stand out as unusual during the day. Hincapie’s Pro chamois is quickly becoming a personal favorite- moderately dense but comfortable for multi-hour rides.

the At 6′ tall but 140lb with a 30in waist, I’ll admit to being a hard rider to fit. I’ve been riding both the XS (available only in the white/red) and the S (shown here) bibs and S and M (shown here) jerseys. Not quite as snug-fitting as Hincapie’s description would imply, the small top seems to fit my slim frame as intended, while the medium allows for a bit more modesty. Similarly, the small bibs (shown) don’t quite make the most of the TourTek Compressor fabric- but the XS is a bit too short for six-footers. Riders who aren’t gangly freaks should find that the kit fits as intended if sized down.

Despite fit issues entirely of my genetics’ making, I’ve been enjoying the Edge kit and expect to get a lot of miles in on them as temperatures rise. As befitting their range-topping positions, neither are inexpensive ($130 jersey, $140 bibshort)- but their quality and features seem on par with the competition. The unique reflective bands are an added bonus.

Sorry to buck the trend of this comment chain, but Im a big fan of this kit, graphics/hincapie doping ish aside.

I got this kit from our rep last week. Took it for a death march today and it performed almost perfectly. The fit was somewhat goofy, but then again almost everything Hincapie has ever made has had this problem.

Two issues I found with the ensemble. First, the tops of the pockets are high. You have to reach higher up to get into them, and that creates a deeper pocket.

Two, the collar is short and flimsy. It only stays up/flat against your skin when the zipper is all the way to the top. ( I actually found this to allow for slightly better airflow down the back of the neck, not a bad thing as the temps are steadily climbing.)

Sizing wise, I went with a Large top and Medium bibs. I am 5’10” and 162lbs. Both grippers, at arms and legs, held securely over the course of 5-hrs, without feeling like they were too tight or that they needed to be adjusted. I didn’t touch them all day. The bibs did come a bit higher up my mid-thigh than I typically ride, but I didn’t feel like I was in a speedo.

I don’t get why cycling fans get all caught up and personal about pro riders. Do you really know the guy or are these opinions about him and his wife based on magazines and web sites? I used to be a pro snowboarder and the last thing anyone cared about was personal lives. Imo, that kind of smack talk online makes you look pretty much like a sissy. I can’t imagine the guys spending time to say that stuff can really compete. It just doesn’t add up.

I think it’s a solid looking kit. And sure, the guy doped. So did everyone else. Can we move on, please? His jerseys and bibs are doping. All I hope is that the chamois in that thing isn’t as similar to cardboard as their other shorts and that the jersey doesn’t feel like waterproofed canvas. Style-wise, however, pretty cool.

And nice poses! It’s nice to see people having fun with what they do. Makes for an entertaining and personal read!

All people whining about doping. Shut up. I am sure you all consume products that would not pass doping control – from cold medication to alcohol and weed.
Big frigging deal. All the limp wristed hand wringing. They all were fine sportsmen who lived in their time.

On the topic of dopers product: although it’s entirely up to the individual to make that choice and the only way to choose is with your dollar, I think it’s arrogant to assume that you have the moral high ground. Whether one takes it from the perspective of no one is blameless to most people in the position would do exactly the same glass houses and stones come to mind.

Buy the kit if it fits well and you like the style. At some point there have been dopers using and promoting every single brand of kit out there. If you’re so anti-doper, are you going to all start riding nude? Actually you won’t be riding because every bike out there has been ridden and promoted by a doper as well! The owners of Trek may not be dopers but they certainly made millions on the backs of dopers so that’s “blood money” as well. Our sport has been riddled and tainted by dopers and that’s a fact of life, move on… or maybe take up basket weaving, I don’t think that there are many dopers there.

So Marc- Great article. I love Hincapie stuff. The photos of you with your bike are great.
To TKeaton- I agree the pockets on Hincapie stuff seem high sometimes.
To all the haters- GO AWAY.

I think that Bike Rumor should get rid of the comments section just because people are idiots and can not act like Adults. For everyone who is mad about the dopers, get over your righteous selves. Yes I disagree with George Hincapie and Lance and all riders who cheat. But thats not the issue. Hincapie is run by Rich Hincapie. It is a family business, yes I know George is apart of the family. George really does not have as much to do with what goes on. Besides they produce really great products. To continue with that mentality that a company with a family member who made mistakes deserves to rot and that company fail is very sad. I cannot believe that our society is that negative. BMW, Mercedes they all had German backgrounds, does that mean that they should all rot?? No.

PLEASE BIKE RUMOR cut all the hate in comments and just show us cool products like this kit.

Flyfishing should be free of doping, so all the guys complaining about “dopers-gear” should stop cycling and go fishing instead. Its nice looking kit with a quite high price but it looks worth it. Would buy one if i could get it in germany. 🙁

I disagree, name is everything. Hincapie could have chosen a non-family name, but instead, they chose Hincapie because of the cache it protrayed in the hayday of cycing. A name we all know is based on lies and cheating. I don’t choose to purchase products using child labor or cheaters (for example) but that is just me. Plenty of other clean businesses out there who are more deserving.

Its not about hate, its about choice, and those who hate the haters are no better. This thread is supposed to be about expressing opinions, and everyone needs to respect different opinions. So please, everyone get over it.

But you support people like Eddy Merckx, miguel indurain, and so on and so on. Doping has been going on for years and will continue. Dont kid yourself and so be so self righteous. Like anyone of you would not have done the same thing.

I buy what I like and what feels good to ride in when I’m on the bike.

George, you doped and coped a plea to save your ass from the Lancegate trash
You fiend humility while obsessionally feeding your ego with comments to your team and had the hubris to start a clothing line
I for one hope the USA will not buy from a doper and that you and your real estate venture fail
You are the epitome of failed cycling
Disgraced

What is all this buying from a doper crap? Come on guys, get over yourselves. The guys that work for Hincapie aren’t dopers. Sure, George makes money from it, but its a solid product. Every clothing company, bike company, nutrition company, and even some car companies sponsored dopers. Better stop shopping at the 7-11, sell that Nissan you bought, and forget Radioshack and Motorola. Get rid of all your Trek and Specialized bikes and get on a wait list to buy a handbuilt bike from a stoner in Portland.

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